You can download Gedo Senki’s Trailer here. I am not so sure about this one: on one side it looks old school Ghibli which is great (reminds me of Nausicaa and the comic The Journey of Shuna) on the other I am really skeptic of Miyazaki San’s son Goro directing for the first time, without any prior animation experience other than the Ghibli Museum … uhm … What do you think ?

Update: a really interesting and honest interview with Miyazaki San here. Great read, touches on Gedo Senki, the new awesome shorts and the future for MiyaSan. Incidentally Ronnie and I saw the short “Yadosagashi” (やどさがし) at the museum and it was enormously inspiring.

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7 Responses to “Gedo Senki trailer”

Well, I gotta say I’m pretty blown away. Just in terms of the animation and design, I am already liking this much more than Howl’s. And, you’re right on in terms of Shuuna no Tabi and Nausicaa – might I add some Mononoke too? While I agree that I too am skeptic about Goro Miyazaki directing, Howl’s Moving Castle was somewhat of a low point in Hayao Miyazaki’s filmography, so I get the feeling this could be a good change to Ghibli. Also, I get the feeling Goro probably surrounded himself with amazing artists who are probably doing some of the directing as well.

My feelings about Miyazaki’s son Goro directing are that although this is he’s first full movie I don’t think we can underestimate a life time of observing his farther. Unfortunately this does not look like a great debut.

If he was passionate about animation from a young age then he I’m sure his father’s visual sensitivity and mastery of storytelling must have rubbed off on him even if he did not pursue it earlier.

Miyazaki Hayao is a graphic genius and his images have left me emotionally completely spellbound and moved to my core, time and again.

I didn’t feel moved by what I saw in this trailer despite, the fact it had Ghibli’s beautiful animation.

It is also disconcerting to see an emulation of his father’s style.

I have heard that Miyazaki objected to his son directing, have you heard any elaboration on this.

Interesting … two very different takes on the trailer from you two. Well, I am not sold as you are Regis, but I am not convinced it’ll be bad … the trailer might be too little to judge, but in itself it’s rather boring … a series of travelling shots pretty much.
As far as what Miyazaki San thinks of his son’s work here’s the excerpt from this interview that says a lot ….

Q:Studio Ghibli is producing a new animated film, Gedo Senki (Tales from Earthsea) [adapted from the fantasy novel Earthsea series by U.S. author, Ursula K. Le Guin]. The movie will open in July and is directed by your son, Goro Miyazaki. What are your thoughts?

M: I won’t say anything [about the movie], lend a hand or even look it over. I’m not involved in any way. I’m keeping myself to myself in my studio as whenever we see each other we quickly start to feel tension.

The relationship between a parent and a child isn’t easy or simple. And I myself have my own standards to evaluate other people as professionals–whoever they may be.

But I’d never say, “Give up!” even if I didn’t like something he was doing. I’ve never said anything like that to him.

Here’s an awesome answer from MiyaSan … (he IS the man)

Q: You have received a number of prizes, including the Golden Bear Award at the Berlin Film Festival in 2002 and an Oscar for best animated feature film in 2003 for Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi (Spirited Away), which first came out in 2001. Hauru no Ugoku Shiro also was awarded the Osella prize for outstanding technical contribution at the Venice International Film Festival.

M: Prizes do not mean anything to me. I think it is more important to make a child aware of the existence of a weird creature like a water spider that breathes through its backside.

I think Miyazaki Goro is pitiful.
Because, if Miyazaki Hayao makes a great film, he is said “Miyazaki is god!!”. But if his son Goro makes a great film, he is only said “Because he has good staff around him.”
He did imageboard, storyboard, layout, etc without experience of animation. I think he inherited the great talent from his father.

A couple years ago, before I’d caught wind of this film, I’d dreamt of writing letters to my favourite animator and my favourite author to see if they would collaborate on making my favourite book into a worthwhile movie… The Earthsea cycle has already been made into a movie, but I had to shut it off after the first five minutes, I was so disappointed. After all the anticipation, I was heartbroken; so was Ursula LeGuin. So, here we are: my favourite animator’s -son- is making my favourite book -series- into a movie, and, needless to say, I am holding my breath. I cannot voice my excitement, and after the first letdown, I surely am not formulating expectations this time. More importantly, though, I hope people give this film a chance and don’t judge Goro because of who he’s related to or what his level of experience is. My second hope is that the author who worked for many years to finish the four books of this cycle is at least somewhat satisfied with/redeemed by this new film, after she voiced her discontent with the first attempt outrightly. I guess we’ll see… Not too long from now!

My own take on Gedo Senki, at least right now, is that I’m far more interested in the family drama and the future of the Ghibli studio than the actual Earthsea script itself. There just seems to be an endless stream of questions, and I’ve posted a few of them on my (cough, cough) website and Ghibli weblog.

I have to believe that Goro Miyazaki must possess some degree of talent – look at who his parents are. I’m sure this will be a good movie, although the trailer feels like a highlight reel of Father Miyazaki’s career from Horus to Heidi to Nausicaa. More questions.